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Playing without Kendrick Perkins, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers had to be creative with lineups, and he found himself calling Williams early in the first quarter of the Celtics 105-100 win over Detroit. In 16 minutes, Williams scored 6 points and grabbed four rebounds, doing dirty work when the Celtics bench went on a fourth-quarter run that would ultimately lead to the win.

He had played spot minutes in Denver and Portland, but last night was a rush he hadn't felt since early in the year.

"It’s my first time playing in a game-setting atmosphere in a while," Williams said. "So, you know, you get all your energy and stuff going and you’re winded right away. Then you catch your second wind and all of a sudden you settle down and just start to play."

On a night when the bench bailed the team out, Rivers applauded Williams for being ready when he could have been collecting dust.

"It’s about being a professional," Williams said. "I knew I was in a tough situation with all the guys that’s been on the team already and that already had their set roles. Then also guys that are veteran guys and playing behind them. So, in order to stay ready I had to continue to stay positive, come in and do my same routine, keep my conditioning up and keep hustling hard and if something happens I’ll be ready for it."